There are plenty of things you can do in Tokyo. But one of the most unusual of them all could have you getting up early to see the best of it.

The Tsukiji Fish Market is one of the liveliest places of its kind in Japan. It is famous for being the largest fish market, not just in Japan but in the whole world. We’re talking about literally acres of land here, all devoted to all kinds of fish that are ready for sale. It’s no big surprise to learn that this market does not just attract the people who buy fish to sell in their businesses. It also regularly attracts many tourists from all over the world, who want to see this amazing place for themselves.

There are auctions for the fish every day, but although these begin at 5am you won’t have to get up this early. People in general are not supposed to be there during this time, so you can lie in and wait until around 9am to be allowed in to see the rest of the market.

Even though the auctions may have ended by the time you arrive, don’t be too late otherwise you will miss everything. The market is only open until about 1pm as it then needs to be cleaned in preparation for doing it all over again the next day.

Perhaps the best part of seeing the market – other than appreciating the sheer size of it – is that you can see all manner of different fish here. You would be hard pushed to think of anything they don’t have – even if it looks a bit different from how you expected it to.

It is quite an experience to visit the Tsukiji Fish Market for sure, but you should always ensure you are prepared for this eye opening morning out. Wear sensible clothing and flat shoes – it can be slippery and wet – and make sure you leave any bags at your hotel. The market has quite strict rules and if you break them you won’t be allowed in. Remember it is a place of business – you can look but only if you respect where you are.

There is little doubt that you are spoilt for choice when it comes to finding things to do in Tokyo. This is one of the main areas that attract tourists to Japan, since it offers an almost dreamlike array of things to do and places to go and experience.

One key place you won’t want to miss is the Kasai Seaside Park. You may see this written as Kasai Rinkai Koen, so watch out for the signs when you come to see it for yourself. This is a huge park and very popular for lots of reasons. It is right by Tokyo Bay so you can imagine how good the views are when you are exploring various parts of this park.

You shouldn’t have many problems locating the park either, since it is the proud owner of a Ferris wheel. This stands some 117 metres in the air, making it a sight to see for miles around. If you want the best view of Tokyo from the air, this is the way to do it.

There is a man made beach here as well, giving you more to enjoy and a relaxing place to sit back and relax for a while. Tokyo can be a very full on experience so it is good to know the vast area that is the Kasai Seaside Park is there to help you relax.

Don’t miss the Kasai Seaside Aquarium while you are in the park either. Just as the Ferris wheel is easy to spot, you will find the aquarium is too. It is in a large glass dome, surely qualifying it as one of the best and most eye catching aquarium buildings in the world.

The park has a train as well which allows you to navigate much of the park in a much shorter length of time. Of course this does not replace the experience of wandering around and seeing it all for yourself, but it certainly gives you another option to consider.

All in all the Kasai Seaside Park is one of the best places you could go to. Make sure you don’t miss this unique part of Tokyo.

Every country has well known locations that are tempting to visit for tourists who have never been to that country before. But equally there are plenty of places that remain somewhat hidden from view. You may not even realise they are there unless you happen to trip over them or read about them, and that can be a shame because they are among the best places in the country. This is certainly true as far as Japan is concerned.

One excellent example of a gem that has remained at least partially hidden from view is Hagi. The chances are you have never heard of this particular location before, although it is reasonably easy to reach if you are in the local area. Hagi does qualify as a city though, and it is located in Yamaguchi in Japan. The fact that it is a city means you will have lots of exploring to do if you really want to get to know the area.

The city dates from mediaeval times and it has a castle that can still be visited today. Indeed this is one of the highlights of the city and if you are going to see Hagi you must make the time to see the castle too. It dates back from the very beginning of the 1600s so you can see there are several centuries worth of history to be discovered here. It may not be the most impressive castle you have ever seen because it is largely flat but it still provides memories and insights into Hagi’s past.

Of course there is plenty more to Hagi than just the castle. Make sure you don’t miss out on the plethora of restaurants all serving authentic and eye opening Japanese dishes. Hagi also has a harbour that looks quite amazing and will provide a scenic contrast to much of the rest of the city. As you can see it has a lot to offer and share with you, so make sure you take some time away from the rest of Japan to visit this particular jewel.

We all have our own unique images of Japan – they may be traditional, modern or gleaned from popular culture. But it is unlikely that those images will include greenery and natural places. This is a shame because Japan has plenty to offer in this area as well.

The Akan National Park is a classic example of just how delightful the greener parts of Japan can be. It’s not all big and bold cities – and this park isn’t the only one of its kind either.

It is a perfect destination to head for if hiking and camping are at the top of your list, rather than expensive hotels and swish locations. Provided you go prepared there is no reason why you can’t enjoy a sensational holiday in this part of Japan.

The park is volcanic in parts, with peaks and lakes all created by previous eruptions taking over the landscape, moulding it and presenting it for you to be amazed by. Don’t expect a barren landscape though – as is common in these kinds of areas you will also find lush greenery and forest areas to explore. Make sure you have good walking boots on your feet because the urge to explore will overtake you when you see the vast expanse of the Akan National Park before you.

Don’t expect to be able to cover it all though. With hundreds of square kilometres before you and three sensational lakes in its midst, you cannot hope to see all of it. It might be worth planning a route around some of the park prior to getting there, so you know where you intend to begin your journey.

Certain aspects of the park may come near the top of your list. Take the Kawayu Onsen hot springs for example. Try out the foot bath for free or stay for longer and dip into the hot springs. Be sure you don’t miss the Iozan volcano either – it has active vents which emit sulphur and you can get closer to them than you might really want to!

As you can see, the Akan National Park really does offer a taste of many parts of Japan.

Osaka may not be the capital of Japan, but it has been thought of as the commercial capital for some time now. However if you think this is all that Osaka has to offer, you would be wrong. The city is also well equipped to entertain holidaymakers who want to explore its many benefits, and if you are one of them you definitely won’t feel bored.

One of the best ways to see more of Osaka is to hop on its Ferris wheel. This is called Tempozan, and you will be able to enjoy a ride which takes you up to more than 110 metres in height. If the weather blesses you, you will be able to see for quite a distance and appreciate everything that Osaka and its surroundings have to offer.

Back down at ground level you might want to pop into the Osaka Aquarium as well, since it is right next door to the wheel. There are sharks and plenty more sea creatures worth seeing here, and it provides a nice contrast to gazing up at the city landscape as well.

Elsewhere there is the Japanese version of the Universal Studios Park in Osaka. There are plenty of different areas worth exploring here and if you are travelling to Japan with the whole family you will certainly be able to keep them entertained here.

Of course there are lots of different ways to see various parts of Osaka as well, from walking to riding the Ferris wheel and even to jumping on the Osaka Loop Line. This is arguably the best way to get to many of the major sights in Osaka, and it provides a nice journey in itself as well. One complete run round the line takes approximately forty minutes so you see it is a nice journey to embark on.

You will see lots of different stations and also different parts of the city, whether they are built up or leafier. In any case it is a marvellous way to discover new sights in Osaka, as well as having the chance to hop off and explore them more closely.

Japan is known for many things. But in the world of rail it is definitely leading the way with the bullet train.

Its proper name is Shinkansen, but most people refer to it as the bullet train for a couple of very good reasons. The first of these is that the trains look a little like a bullet from the front. They are sleek and designed to travel at very fast speeds – and this is the second reason for the nickname ‘the bullet train’. It certainly doesn’t hang about.

If you are visiting Japan and you get the chance to travel on the Shinkansen it is well worth doing so. There are several different lines and they are all colour coded, running across most of the main areas of Japan itself. Three of the lines run out of Tokyo and you can visit such areas as Hiroshima, Osaka and Kyoto via the bullet train.

You have to pay an additional fare to get on board the Shinkansen, as well as the usual ticket price. However it is well worth it for the experience, because the trains travel at around 186mph at top speed. It can be a little alarming if you aren’t used to it, but it provides you with an amazing and fast way to get around various parts of Japan.

As you might expect there are trains running on all lines that stop at varying numbers of stations along the route. The shortest journey times are achieved by those trains stopping at the smallest number of stops. Depending on where you are going and which train you catch, your journey time could vary.

However it is a nice way to see part of the scenery along the route, if that is you can see it as you speed by! At any rate the experience is one worth having, and if you want to see as much of Japan as possible during an extended stay it is the fastest way to get around.

One word of warning though – if you are at all travel sick you may want to prepare by taking a remedy before jumping on board. Just to be on the safe side…

Japan presents you with a nice problem to have if you are considering going there on holiday. There are so many truly amazing places to visit you might feel yourself wondering where on earth to start.

If you had to stick a pin in a map and it landed on Kyoto, you’d certainly have struck lucky. Kyoto has a lot to offer and thankfully it did not perish during World War II, when so many other places did. It was largely due to its stature and incredible beauty that the decision was made to pass over it.

This city is also very old, and much of its history thankfully still remains for us to see. It was once the capital of Japan and although this is obviously no longer the case it still retains much of the character and structure that it had back then.

If you are considering what time of year to visit Kyoto, autumn would be a reasonable choice to make. This is because many of the trees in the city turn to a beautiful red colour at this time of year. Some of them provide shade to the temples in the area, and they also provide an irresistible sight for the avid photographer to take advantage of.

It’s hard to describe the sheer amount of culture and history that is packed into the city of Kyoto. Most people are aware that having a UNESCO World Heritage Site in a particular area marks it out as a big area of interest. Would it surprise you to know that Kyoto alone has seventeen such sites waiting for you to visit them?

It’s ironic then that Tokyo is often seen by some as the more important and more obvious area to visit. For our money we would thoroughly recommend choosing Kyoto if you had to make a choice between the two. Ideally you’d see both, but if your budget is limiting you cannot miss out on the history and box of delights that Kyoto offers you.

The biggest question is where you will begin. The answer is anywhere you like – let Kyoto show you the way.